2 Tawarikh 1:1-17
Konteks1:1 Solomon son of David solidified his royal authority, 1 for 2 the Lord his God was with him and magnified him greatly.
1:2 Solomon addressed all Israel, including those who commanded units of a thousand and a hundred, the judges, and all the leaders of all Israel who were heads of families. 1:3 Solomon and the entire assembly went to the worship center 3 in Gibeon, for the tent where they met God 4 was located there, which Moses the Lord’s servant had made in the wilderness. 1:4 (Now David had brought up the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim to the place he had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem. 5 1:5 But the bronze altar made by Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, was in front of the Lord’s tabernacle. 6 Solomon and the entire assembly prayed to him 7 there.) 1:6 Solomon went up to the bronze altar before the Lord which was at the meeting tent, and he offered up a thousand burnt sacrifices.
1:7 That night God appeared 8 to Solomon and said to him, “Tell me 9 what I should give you.” 1:8 Solomon replied to God, “You demonstrated 10 great loyalty to my father David and have made me king in his place. 1:9 Now, Lord God, may your promise 11 to my father David be realized, 12 for you have made me king over a great nation as numerous as the dust of the earth. 1:10 Now give me wisdom and discernment so 13 I can effectively lead this nation. 14 Otherwise 15 no one is able 16 to make judicial decisions for 17 this great nation of yours.” 18
1:11 God said to Solomon, “Because you desire this, 19 and did not ask for riches, wealth, and honor, or for vengeance on your enemies, 20 and because you did not ask for long life, 21 but requested wisdom and discernment so you can make judicial decisions for my people over whom I have made you king, 1:12 you are granted wisdom and discernment. 22 Furthermore I am giving you riches, wealth, and honor surpassing that of any king before or after you.” 23
1:13 Solomon left the meeting tent at the worship center in Gibeon and went to Jerusalem, where he reigned over Israel. 24
1:14 Solomon accumulated 25 chariots and horses. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses. He kept them in assigned cities and in Jerusalem. 26 1:15 The king made silver and gold as plentiful 27 in Jerusalem as stones; cedar was 28 as plentiful as sycamore fig trees are in the lowlands. 29 1:16 Solomon acquired his horses from Egypt 30 and from Que; the king’s traders purchased them from Que. 1:17 They paid 600 silver pieces for each chariot from Egypt, and 150 silver pieces for each horse. They also sold chariots and horses to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Syria. 31
Hakim-hakim 1:1-36
Konteks1:1 After Joshua died, the Israelites asked 32 the Lord, “Who should lead the invasion against the Canaanites and launch the attack?” 33 1:2 The Lord said, “The men of Judah should take the lead. 34 Be sure of this! I am handing the land over to them.” 35 1:3 The men of Judah said to their relatives, the men of Simeon, 36 “Invade our allotted land with us and help us attack the Canaanites. 37 Then we 38 will go with you into your allotted land.” So the men of Simeon went with them.
1:4 The men of Judah attacked, 39 and the Lord handed the Canaanites and Perizzites over to them. They killed ten thousand men at Bezek. 1:5 They met 40 Adoni-Bezek at Bezek and fought him. They defeated the Canaanites and Perizzites. 1:6 When Adoni-Bezek ran away, they chased him and captured him. Then they cut off his thumbs and big toes. 1:7 Adoni-Bezek said, “Seventy kings, with thumbs and big toes cut off, used to lick up 41 food scraps 42 under my table. God has repaid me for what I did to them.” 43 They brought him to Jerusalem, 44 where he died. 1:8 The men of Judah attacked Jerusalem and captured it. They put the sword to it and set the city on fire.
1:9 Later the men of Judah went down to attack the Canaanites living in the hill country, the Negev, and the lowlands. 45 1:10 The men of Judah attacked the Canaanites living in Hebron. (Hebron used to be called Kiriath Arba.) They killed Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai. 1:11 From there they attacked the people of Debir. 46 (Debir used to be called Kiriath Sepher.) 1:12 Caleb said, “To the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher I will give my daughter Acsah as a wife.” 1:13 When Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, 47 captured it, Caleb 48 gave him his daughter Acsah as a wife.
1:14 One time Acsah 49 came and charmed her father 50 so she could ask him for some land. When she got down from her donkey, Caleb said to her, “What would you like?” 1:15 She answered, “Please give me a special present. 51 Since you have given me land in the Negev, now give me springs of water.” So Caleb gave her both the upper and lower springs. 52
1:16 Now the descendants of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up with the people of Judah from the City of Date Palm Trees to Arad in the desert of Judah, 53 located in the Negev. 54 They went and lived with the people of Judah. 55
1:17 The men of Judah went with their brothers the men of Simeon 56 and defeated the Canaanites living in Zephath. They wiped out Zephath. 57 So people now call the city Hormah. 58 1:18 The men of Judah captured Gaza, Ashkelon, Ekron, and the territory surrounding each of these cities. 59
1:19 The Lord was with the men of Judah. They conquered 60 the hill country, but they could not 61 conquer the people living in the coastal plain, because they had chariots with iron-rimmed wheels. 62 1:20 Caleb received 63 Hebron, just as Moses had promised. He drove out the three Anakites. 1:21 The men of Benjamin, however, did not conquer the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. 64 The Jebusites live with the people of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this very day. 65
1:22 When the men 66 of Joseph attacked 67 Bethel, 68 the Lord was with them. 1:23 When the men of Joseph spied out Bethel (it used to be called Luz), 1:24 the spies spotted 69 a man leaving the city. They said to him, “If you show us a secret entrance into the city, we will reward you.” 1:25 He showed them a secret entrance into the city, and they put the city to the sword. But they let the man and his extended family leave safely. 1:26 He 70 moved to Hittite country and built a city. He named it Luz, and it has kept that name to this very day.
1:27 The men of Manasseh did not conquer Beth Shan, Taanach, or their surrounding towns. Nor did they conquer the people living in Dor, Ibleam, Megiddo 71 or their surrounding towns. 72 The Canaanites managed 73 to remain in those areas. 74 1:28 Whenever Israel was strong militarily, they forced the Canaanites to do hard labor, but they never totally conquered them.
1:29 The men of Ephraim did not conquer the Canaanites living in Gezer. The Canaanites lived among them in Gezer.
1:30 The men of Zebulun did not conquer the people living in Kitron and Nahalol. 75 The Canaanites lived among them and were forced to do hard labor.
1:31 The men of Asher did not conquer the people living in Acco or Sidon, 76 nor did they conquer Ahlab, Aczib, Helbah, Aphek, or Rehob. 77 1:32 The people of Asher live among the Canaanites residing in the land because they did not conquer them.
1:33 The men of Naphtali did not conquer the people living in Beth Shemesh or Beth Anath. 78 They live among the Canaanites residing in the land. The Canaanites 79 living in Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath were forced to do hard labor for them.
1:34 The Amorites forced the people of Dan to live in the hill country. They did not allow them to live in 80 the coastal plain. 1:35 The Amorites managed 81 to remain in Har Heres, 82 Aijalon, and Shaalbim. Whenever the tribe of Joseph was strong militarily, 83 the Amorites were forced to do hard labor. 1:36 The border of Amorite territory ran from the Scorpion Ascent 84 to Sela and on up. 85
Yohanes 19:1-22
Konteks19:1 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged severely. 86 19:2 The soldiers 87 braided 88 a crown of thorns 89 and put it on his head, and they clothed him in a purple robe. 90 19:3 They 91 came up to him again and again 92 and said, “Hail, king of the Jews!” 93 And they struck him repeatedly 94 in the face.
19:4 Again Pilate went out and said to the Jewish leaders, 95 “Look, I am bringing him out to you, so that you may know that I find no reason for an accusation 96 against him.” 19:5 So Jesus came outside, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. 97 Pilate 98 said to them, “Look, here is the man!” 99 19:6 When the chief priests and their officers saw him, they shouted out, “Crucify 100 him! Crucify him!” 101 Pilate said, 102 “You take him and crucify him! 103 Certainly 104 I find no reason for an accusation 105 against him!” 19:7 The Jewish leaders 106 replied, 107 “We have a law, 108 and according to our law he ought to die, because he claimed to be the Son of God!” 109
19:8 When Pilate heard what they said, 110 he was more afraid than ever, 111 19:9 and he went back into the governor’s residence 112 and said to Jesus, “Where do you come from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 19:10 So Pilate said, 113 “Do you refuse to speak to me? Don’t you know I have the authority 114 to release you, and to crucify you?” 115 19:11 Jesus replied, “You would have no authority 116 over me at all, unless it was given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you 117 is guilty of greater sin.” 118
19:12 From this point on, Pilate tried 119 to release him. But the Jewish leaders 120 shouted out, 121 “If you release this man, 122 you are no friend of Caesar! 123 Everyone who claims to be a king 124 opposes Caesar!” 19:13 When Pilate heard these words he brought Jesus outside and sat down on the judgment seat 125 in the place called “The Stone Pavement” 126 (Gabbatha in 127 Aramaic). 128 19:14 (Now it was the day of preparation 129 for the Passover, about noon. 130 ) 131 Pilate 132 said to the Jewish leaders, 133 “Look, here is your king!”
19:15 Then they 134 shouted out, “Away with him! Away with him! 135 Crucify 136 him!” Pilate asked, 137 “Shall I crucify your king?” The high priests replied, “We have no king except Caesar!” 19:16 Then Pilate 138 handed him over 139 to them to be crucified.
So they took Jesus, 19:17 and carrying his own cross 140 he went out to the place called “The Place of the Skull” 141 (called in Aramaic 142 Golgotha). 143 19:18 There they 144 crucified 145 him along with two others, 146 one on each side, with Jesus in the middle. 19:19 Pilate also had a notice 147 written and fastened to the cross, 148 which read: 149 “Jesus the Nazarene, the king of the Jews.” 19:20 Thus many of the Jewish residents of Jerusalem 150 read this notice, 151 because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the notice was written in Aramaic, 152 Latin, and Greek. 19:21 Then the chief priests of the Jews 153 said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The king of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am king of the Jews.’” 19:22 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”
[1:1] 1 tn Heb “and Solomon son of David strengthened himself over his kingdom.”
[1:1] 2 tn The disjunctive clause (note the vav [ו] + subject pattern) probably has a causal nuance here.
[1:3] 4 tn Heb “the tent of meeting of God.”
[1:4] 5 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[1:5] 6 sn The tabernacle was located in Gibeon; see 1 Chr 21:29.
[1:5] 7 tn Heb “sought [or “inquired of”] him.”
[1:7] 8 tn Or “revealed himself.”
[1:9] 12 tn Or “be firm, established.”
[1:10] 13 tn The cohortative with prefixed vav (ו) following the imperative here indicates purpose/result.
[1:10] 14 tn Heb “so I may go out before this nation and come in.” The expression “go out…and come in” here means “to lead” (see HALOT 425 s.v. יצא qal.4).
[1:10] 15 tn Heb “for.” The word “otherwise” is used to reflect the logical sense of the statement.
[1:10] 16 tn Heb “who is able?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “no one.”
[1:10] 18 tn Heb “these numerous people of yours.”
[1:11] 19 tn Heb “because this was in your heart.”
[1:11] 20 tn Heb “the life of those who hate you.”
[1:12] 22 tn Heb “wisdom and discernment are given to you.”
[1:12] 23 tn Heb “which was not so for the kings who were before you, and after you there will not be so.”
[1:13] 24 tn Heb “and Solomon came from the high place which was in Gibeon [to] Jerusalem, from before the tent of meeting, and he reigned over Israel.”
[1:14] 26 tn Heb “he placed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.”
[1:14] map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[1:15] 27 tn The words “as plentiful” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[1:15] 29 tn Heb “as the sycamore fig trees which are in the Shephelah.”
[1:16] 30 sn Because Que is also mentioned, some prefer to see 1 Kgs 10:28-29 as a reference to Mutsur. Que and Mutsur were located in Cilicia or Cappadocia (in modern southern Turkey). See HALOT 625 s.v. מִצְרַיִם.
[1:17] 31 tn Heb “and they brought up and brought out from Egypt a chariot for 600 silver (pieces), and a horse for 150, and in the same way to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Aram by their hand they brought out.”
[1:1] 32 tn The Hebrew verb translated “asked” (שָׁאַל, sha’al) refers here to consulting the
[1:1] 33 tn Heb “Who should first go up for us against the Canaanites to attack them?”
[1:2] 34 tn Heb “Judah should go up.”
[1:2] 35 tn The Hebrew exclamation הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally, “Behold”), translated “Be sure of this,” draws attention to the following statement. The verb form in the following statement (a Hebrew perfect, indicating completed action from the standpoint of the speaker) emphasizes the certainty of the event. Though it had not yet taken place, the
[1:3] 36 tn Heb “Judah said to Simeon, his brother.”
[1:3] 37 tn Heb “Come up with me into our allotted land and let us attack the Canaanites.”
[1:3] 38 tn Heb “I.” The Hebrew pronoun is singular, agreeing with the collective singular “Judah” earlier in the verse. English style requires a plural pronoun here, however.
[1:4] 39 tn Heb “Judah went up.”
[1:7] 41 tn Elsewhere this verb usually carries the sense of “to gather; to pick up; to glean,” but “lick up” seems best here in light of the peculiar circumstances described by Adoni-Bezek.
[1:7] 42 tn The words “food scraps” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.
[1:7] 43 tn Heb “Just as I did, so God has repaid me.” Note that the phrase “to them” has been supplied in the translation to clarify what is meant.
[1:7] 44 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[1:9] 45 tn Or “foothills”; Heb “the Shephelah.”
[1:11] 46 tn Heb “they went from there against the inhabitants of Debir.” The LXX reads the verb as “they went up,” which suggests that the Hebrew text translated by the LXX read וַיַּעַל (vayya’al) rather than the MT’s וַיֵּלֶךְ (vayyelekh). It is possible that this is the text to be preferred in v. 11. Cf. Josh 15:15.
[1:13] 47 tn “Caleb’s younger brother” may refer to Othniel or to Kenaz (in which case Othniel was Caleb’s nephew; so CEV).
[1:13] 48 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Caleb) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[1:14] 49 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Acsah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[1:14] 50 tn Heb “him.” The pronoun could refer to Othniel, in which case one would translate, “she incited him [Othniel] to ask her father for a field.” This is problematic, however, for Acsah, not Othniel, makes the request in v. 15. The LXX has “he [Othniel] urged her to ask her father for a field.” This appears to be an attempt to reconcile the apparent inconsistency and probably does not reflect the original text. If Caleb is understood as the referent of the pronoun, the problem disappears. For a fuller discussion of the issue, see P. G. Mosca, “Who Seduced Whom? A Note on Joshua 15:18 // Judges 1:14,” CBQ 46 (1984): 18-22. The translation takes Caleb to be the referent, specified as “her father.”
[1:15] 51 tn Elsewhere the Hebrew word בְרָכָה (vÿrakhah) is often translated “blessing,” but here it refers to a gift (as in Gen 33:11; 1 Sam 25:27; 30:26; and 2 Kgs 5:15).
[1:15] 52 tn Some translations regard the expressions “springs of water” (גֻּלֹּת מָיִם, gullot mayim) and “springs” (גֻּלֹּת) as place names here (cf. NRSV).
[1:16] 53 tc Part of the Greek
[1:16] 54 tn Heb “[to] the Desert of Judah in the Negev, Arad.”
[1:16] 55 tn The phrase “of Judah” is supplied here in the translation. Some ancient textual witnesses read, “They went and lived with the Amalekites.” This reading, however, is probably influenced by 1 Sam 15:6 (see also Num 24:20-21).
[1:17] 56 tn Heb “Judah went with Simeon, his brother.”
[1:17] 57 tn Heb “it”; the referent (the city of Zephath) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[1:17] 58 sn The name Hormah (חָרְמָה, khormah) sounds like the Hebrew verb translated “wipe out” (חָרַם, kharam).
[1:18] 59 tn Heb “The men of Judah captured Gaza and its surrounding territory, Ashkelon and its surrounding territory, and Ekron and its surrounding territory.”
[1:19] 60 tn Or “seized possession of”; or “occupied.”
[1:19] 61 tc Several textual witnesses support the inclusion of this verb.
[1:19] 62 tn Regarding the translation “chariots with iron-rimmed wheels,” see Y. Yadin, The Art of Warfare in Biblical Lands, 255, and the article by R. Drews, “The ‘Chariots of Iron’ of Joshua and Judges,” JSOT 45 (1989): 15-23.
[1:20] 63 tn Heb “they gave to Caleb.”
[1:21] 64 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[1:21] 65 sn The statement to this very day reflects the perspective of the author, who must have written prior to David’s conquest of the Jebusites (see 2 Sam 5:6-7).
[1:22] 66 tn Heb “house.” This is a metonymy for the warriors from the tribe.
[1:22] 68 map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
[1:27] 71 map For location see Map1 D4; Map2 C1; Map4 C2; Map5 F2; Map7 B1.
[1:27] 72 tn Heb “The men of Manasseh did not conquer Beth Shan and its surrounding towns, Taanach and its surrounding towns, the people living in Dor and its surrounding towns, the people living in Ibleam and its surrounding towns, or the people living in Megiddo and its surrounding towns.”
[1:27] 73 tn Or “were determined.”
[1:27] 74 tn Heb “in this land.”
[1:30] 75 tn Heb “the people living in Kitron and the people living in Nahalol.”
[1:31] 76 map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[1:31] 77 tn Heb “The men of Asher did not conquer the people living in Acco, the people living in Sidon, Ahlab, Acco, Helbah, Aphek, or Rehob.”
[1:33] 78 tn Heb “the people living in Beth Shemesh or the people living in Beth Anath.”
[1:33] 79 tn The term “Canaanites” is supplied here both for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
[1:34] 80 tn Heb “come down into.”
[1:35] 81 tn Or “were determined.”
[1:35] 82 tn Or “Mount Heres”; the term הַר (har) means “mount” or “mountain” in Hebrew.
[1:35] 83 tn Heb “Whenever the hand of the tribe of Joseph was heavy.”
[1:36] 84 tn Or “the Ascent of Scorpions” (עַקְרַבִּים [’aqrabbim] means “scorpions” in Hebrew).
[1:36] 85 tn Or “Amorite territory started at the Pass of the Scorpions at Sela and then went on up.”
[19:1] 86 tn Or “had him flogged,” or (traditional), “scourged him.” The verb should be read as causative. Pilate ordered Jesus to be flogged. A Roman governor would not carry out such a sentence in person. BDAG 620 s.v. μαστιγόω 1. states, “If J refers to the ‘verberatio’ given those condemned to death (TMommsen, Röm. Strafrecht 1899, 938f; Jos., Bell. 2, 308; 5, 449), it is odd that Pilate subsequently claims no cause for action (vs. 6); but if the latter statement refers only to the penalty of crucifixion, μ. vs. 1 may be equivalent to παιδεύω (q.v. 2bγ) in Lk 23:16, 22 (for μ. of a non-capital offense PFlor I, 61, 61 [85ad]=Mitt-Wilck. II/2, 80 II, 61).”
[19:1] sn This severe flogging was not administered by Pilate himself but his officers, who took Jesus at Pilate’s order and scourged him. The author’s choice of wording here may constitute an allusion to Isa 50:6, “I gave my back to those who scourge me.” Three forms of corporal punishment were employed by the Romans, in increasing degree of severity: (1) fustigatio (beating), (2) flagellatio (flogging), and (3) verberatio (severe flogging, scourging). The first could be on occasion a punishment in itself, but the more severe forms were part of the capital sentence as a prelude to crucifixion. The most severe, verberatio, is what is indicated here by the Greek verb translated flogged severely (μαστιγόω, mastigow). People died on occasion while being flogged this way; frequently it was severe enough to rip a person’s body open or cut muscle and sinew to the bone. It was carried out with a whip that had fragments of bone or pieces of metal bound into the tips.
[19:2] 87 tn Grk “And the soldiers.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
[19:2] 89 sn The crown of thorns was a crown plaited of some thorny material, intended as a mockery of Jesus’ “kingship.” Traditionally it has been regarded as an additional instrument of torture, but it seems more probable the purpose of the thorns was not necessarily to inflict more physical suffering but to imitate the spikes of the “radiant corona,” a type of crown portrayed on ruler’s heads on many coins of the period; the spikes on this type of crown represented rays of light pointing outward (the best contemporary illustration is the crown on the head of the Statue of Liberty in New York harbor).
[19:2] 90 sn The purple color of the robe indicated royal status. This was further mockery of Jesus, along with the crown of thorns.
[19:3] 91 tn Grk “And they.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
[19:3] 92 tn The words “again and again” are implied by the (iterative) imperfect verb ἤρχοντο (hrconto).
[19:3] 93 tn Or “Long live the King of the Jews!”
[19:3] sn The greeting used by the soldiers, “Hail, King of the Jews!”, is a mockery based on the standard salutation for the Roman emperor, “Ave, Caesar!” (“Hail to Caesar!”).
[19:3] 94 tn The word “repeatedly” is implied by the (iterative) imperfect verb ἐδιδοσαν (edidosan).
[19:4] 95 tn Grk “to them.” The words “the Jewish leaders” are supplied from John 18:38 for clarity.
[19:4] 96 tn Or “find no basis for an accusation”; Grk “find no cause.”
[19:5] 97 sn See the note on the purple robe in 19:2.
[19:5] 98 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Pilate) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:5] 99 sn Look, here is the man! Pilate may have meant no more than something like “Here is the accused!” or in a contemptuous way, “Here is your king!” Others have taken Pilate’s statement as intended to evoke pity from Jesus’ accusers: “Look at this poor fellow!” (Jesus would certainly not have looked very impressive after the scourging). For the author, however, Pilate’s words constituted an unconscious allusion to Zech 6:12, “Look, here is the man whose name is the Branch.” In this case Pilate (unknowingly and ironically) presented Jesus to the nation under a messianic title.
[19:6] 100 sn Crucifixion was the cruelest form of punishment practiced by the Romans. Roman citizens could not normally undergo it. It was reserved for the worst crimes, like treason and evasion of due process in a capital case. The Roman statesman and orator Cicero (106-43
[19:6] 101 tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from context.
[19:6] 102 tn Grk “said to them.” The words “to them” are not translated because they are unnecessary in contemporary English style.
[19:6] 103 sn How are Pilate’s words “You take him and crucify him” to be understood? Was he offering a serious alternative to the priests who wanted Jesus crucified? Was he offering them an exception to the statement in 18:31 that the Jewish authorities did not have the power to carry out a death penalty? Although a few scholars have suggested that the situation was at this point so far out of Pilate’s control that he really was telling the high priests they could go ahead and crucify a man he had found to be innocent, this seems unlikely. It is far more likely that Pilate’s statement should be understood as one of frustration and perhaps sarcasm. This seems to be supported by the context, for the Jewish authorities make no attempt at this point to seize Jesus and crucify him. Rather they continue to pester Pilate to order the crucifixion.
[19:6] 104 tn On this use of γάρ (gar) used in exclamations and strong affirmations, see BDAG 190 s.v. γάρ 3.
[19:6] 105 tn Or “find no basis for an accusation”; Grk “find no cause.”
[19:7] 106 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.) Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, especially members of the Sanhedrin, and their servants (mentioned specifically as “the chief priests and their servants” in John 19:6).
[19:7] 107 tn Grk “answered him.”
[19:7] 108 sn This law is not the entire Pentateuch, but Lev 24:16.
[19:7] 109 tn Grk “because he made himself out to be the Son of God.”
[19:8] 110 tn Grk “heard this word.”
[19:8] 111 tn Grk “became more afraid.”
[19:9] 112 tn Grk “into the praetorium.”
[19:10] 113 tn Grk “said to him.” The words “to him” are not translated because they are unnecessary in contemporary English style.
[19:10] 114 tn Or “the power.”
[19:10] 115 tn Grk “know that I have the authority to release you and the authority to crucify you.” Repetition of “the authority” is unnecessarily redundant English style.
[19:10] sn See the note on Crucify in 19:6.
[19:11] 117 tn Or “who delivered me over to you.”
[19:11] sn The one who handed me over to you appears to be a reference to Judas at first; yet Judas did not deliver Jesus up to Pilate, but to the Jewish authorities. The singular may be a reference to Caiaphas, who as high priest was representative of all the Jewish authorities, or it may be a generic singular referring to all the Jewish authorities directly. In either case the end result is more or less the same.
[19:11] 118 tn Grk “has the greater sin” (an idiom).
[19:11] sn Because Pilate had no authority over Jesus except what had been given to him from God, the one who handed Jesus over to Pilate was guilty of greater sin. This does not absolve Pilate of guilt; it simply means his guilt was less than those who handed Jesus over to him, because he was not acting against Jesus out of deliberate hatred or calculated malice, like the Jewish religious authorities. These were thereby guilty of greater sin.
[19:12] 120 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, especially members of the Sanhedrin, and their servants (mentioned specifically as “the chief priests and their servants” in John 19:6). See the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 7.
[19:12] 121 tn Grk “shouted out, saying.”
[19:12] 122 tn Grk “this one.”
[19:12] 123 sn Is the author using the phrase Friend of Caesar in a technical sense, as a title bestowed on people for loyal service to the Emperor, or in a more general sense merely describing a person as loyal to the Emperor? L. Morris (John [NICNT], 798) thinks it is “unlikely” that the title is used in the technical sense, and J. H. Bernard (St. John [ICC], 2:621) argues that the technical sense of the phrase as an official title was not used before the time of Vespasian (
[19:12] 124 tn Grk “who makes himself out to be a king.”
[19:13] 125 tn Or “the judge’s seat.”
[19:13] sn The judgment seat (βῆμα, bhma) was a raised platform mounted by steps and usually furnished with a seat. It was used by officials in addressing an assembly or making official pronouncements, often of a judicial nature.
[19:13] 126 sn The precise location of the place called ‘The Stone Pavement’ is still uncertain, although a paved court on the lower level of the Fortress Antonia has been suggested. It is not certain whether it was laid prior to
[19:13] 127 tn Grk “in Hebrew.”
[19:13] sn The author does not say that Gabbatha is the Aramaic (or Hebrew) translation for the Greek term Λιθόστρωτον (Liqostrwton). He simply points out that in Aramaic (or Hebrew) the place had another name. A number of meanings have been suggested, but the most likely appears to mean “elevated place.” It is possible that this was a term used by the common people for the judgment seat itself, which always stood on a raised platform.
[19:13] 128 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[19:14] 129 sn The term day of preparation (παρασκευή, paraskeuh) appears in all the gospels as a description of the day on which Jesus died. It could refer to any Friday as the day of preparation for the Sabbath (Saturday), and this is the way the synoptic gospels use the term (Matt 27:62, Mark 15:42, and Luke 23:54). John, however, specifies in addition that this was not only the day of preparation of the Sabbath, but also the day of preparation of the Passover, so that the Sabbath on the following day was the Passover (cf. 19:31).
[19:14] 130 tn Grk “about the sixth hour.”
[19:14] sn For John, the time was especially important. When the note concerning the hour, about noon, is connected with the day, the day of preparation for the Passover, it becomes apparent that Jesus was going to die on the cross at the very time that the Passover lambs were being slain in the temple courts. Exod 12:6 required that the Passover lamb be kept alive until the 14th Nisan, the eve of the Passover, and then slaughtered by the head of the household at twilight (Grk “between the two evenings”). By this time the slaughtering was no longer done by the heads of households, but by the priests in the temple courts. But so many lambs were needed for the tens of thousands of pilgrims who came to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast (some estimates run in excess of 100,000 pilgrims) that the slaughter could not be completed during the evening, and so the rabbis redefined “between the two evenings” as beginning at noon, when the sun began to decline toward the horizon. Thus the priests had the entire afternoon of 14th Nisan in which to complete the slaughter of the Passover lambs. According to the Fourth Gospel, this is the time Jesus was dying on the cross.
[19:14] 131 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[19:14] 132 tn Grk “And he”; the referent (Pilate) has been specified in the translation for clarity, and the conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
[19:14] 133 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, especially members of the Sanhedrin, and their servants (mentioned specifically as “the chief priests and their servants” in John 19:6). See the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 7.
[19:15] 134 tn Grk “Then these.”
[19:15] 135 tn The words “with him” (twice) are not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[19:15] 136 sn See the note on Crucify in 19:6.
[19:15] 137 tn Grk “Pilate said to them.” The words “to them” are not translated because it is clear in English who Pilate is addressing.
[19:16] 138 tn Grk “Then he”; the referent (Pilate) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:16] 139 tn Or “delivered him over.”
[19:17] 140 tn Or “carrying the cross by himself.”
[19:17] sn As was customary practice in a Roman crucifixion, the prisoner was made to carry his own cross. In all probability this was only the crossbeam, called in Latin the patibulum, since the upright beam usually remained in the ground at the place of execution. According to Matt 27:32 and Mark 15:21, the soldiers forced Simon to take the cross; Luke 23:26 states that the cross was placed on Simon so that it might be carried behind Jesus. A reasonable explanation of all this is that Jesus started out carrying the cross until he was no longer able to do so, at which point Simon was forced to take over.
[19:17] 141 sn Jesus was led out to the place called “The Place of the Skull” where he was to be crucified. It is clear from v. 20 that this was outside the city. The Latin word for the Greek κρανίον (kranion) is calvaria. Thus the English word “Calvary” is a transliteration of the Latin rather than a NT place name (cf. Luke 23:33 in the KJV).
[19:17] 142 tn Grk “in Hebrew.”
[19:17] 143 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[19:18] 144 tn Grk “where they.” This is a continuation of the previous verse in Greek, but contemporary English style tends toward shorter sentences. A literal translation would result in a lengthy and awkward English sentence.
[19:18] 145 sn See the note on Crucify in 19:6.
[19:18] 146 tn Grk “and with him two others.”
[19:19] 147 tn Or “an inscription.”
[19:19] sn Mention of the inscription is an important detail, because the inscription would normally give the reason for the execution. It shows that Jesus was executed for claiming to be a king. It was also probably written with irony from the executioners’ point of view.
[19:19] 148 tn Grk “Pilate also wrote a notice and placed it on the cross.” The two verbs should be read as causatives, since it is highly unlikely that the Roman governor would perform either of these actions himself. He ordered them to be done.
[19:19] sn John says simply that the notice was fastened to the cross. Luke 23:38 says the inscription was placed “over him” (Jesus), and Matt 27:37 that it was placed over Jesus’ head. On the basis of Matthew’s statement Jesus’ cross is usually depicted as the crux immissa, the cross which has the crossbeam set below the top of the upright beam. The other commonly used type of cross was the crux commissa, which had the crossbeam atop the upright beam. But Matthew’s statement is not conclusive, since with the crux commissa the body would have sagged downward enough to allow the placard to be placed above Jesus’ head. The placard with Pilate’s inscription is mentioned in all the gospels, but for John it was certainly ironic. Jesus really was the King of the Jews, although he was a king rejected by his own people (cf. 1:11). Pilate’s own motivation for placing the title over Jesus is considerably more obscure. He may have meant this as a final mockery of Jesus himself, but Pilate’s earlier mockery of Jesus seemed to be motivated by a desire to gain pity from the Jewish authorities in order to have him released. More likely Pilate saw this as a subtle way of getting back at the Jewish authorities who had pressured him into the execution of one he considered to be an innocent man.
[19:19] 149 tn Grk “Now it was written.”
[19:20] 150 tn Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the residents of Jerusalem in general. See also the note on the phrase Jewish religious leaders” in v. 7.
[19:20] map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[19:20] 151 tn Or “this inscription.”
[19:20] 152 tn Grk “in Hebrew.”
[19:21] 153 tn Or “the Jewish chief priests.” Nowhere else in the Fourth Gospel are the two expressions οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων (Joi arcierei" twn Ioudaiwn) combined. Earlier in 19:15 the chief priests were simply referred to as οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς. It seems likely that this is another example of Johannine irony, to be seen in contrast to the inscription on the cross which read ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων (Jo basileu" twn Ioudaiwn). For this reason the phrase has been translated “the chief priests of the Jews” (which preserves in the translation the connection with “King of the Jews”) rather than “the Jewish chief priests.”
